ENMU Athletics News

By Adam Pitterman

Women’s Basketball off to Strong Start

After a sweep of in-state rivals New Mexico Highlands, Western New Mexico and Northern New Mexico, the women’s basketball team is ready to open Lone Star Conference play with a 5-5 overall record. The Hounds feature a balanced offense with five players averaging more than seven points per game. So far the squad has displayed a high-paced offensive attack with an equally intense defensive effort. Through 10 games, Eastern has allowed the opposition just 67.8 points per game and has blocked four shots per contest.

Kassandra Harris, a junior out of Albuquerque, NM is currently the Women’s Basketball top scorer with 9.8 points and 4.5 boards per game.

Photo by Scot Stinnett

Kassandra Harris has been the team’s top scorer with 9.8 points and 4.5 boards per game. Sarah Stinnett, an All-Lone Star Conference performer from last season, is close behind with 9.5 points per game and a team-high 21 assists. Harris poured in 21 points against NCAA Division II powerhouse Lubbock Christian while Miranda Moore had a 16-point game against Fort Lewis.

Stinnett garnered LSC Defensive Player of the Week after Eastern posted a 63-41 victory at Western New Mexico. She registered three steals and helped ENMU limit the Mustangs to just 30.2 percent from the field. Eastern limited WNMU to just six points in each of the second and third quarters.

After a New Year’s Eve victory over Northern N.M., Eastern will close the home stand with games against Texas Woman’s and Cameron University.

Men’s Basketball Team Showing Improvement

After an 0-3 start, the men’s basketball team earned victories over Colorado Mesa, Nova Southeastern St. Mary’s, and Wayland Baptist. Eastern opens LSC play at home against Cameron University. The LSC schedule should be a tough test for Eastern, as the league sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament last season with Texas A&M-Commerce winning the conference tournament while Tarleton State edged Angelo State for the league crown by a single game. The Texans also reached the Final Four before suffering a four-point loss to Indiana University.

The Hounds are averaging 77 points per game, almost seven points ahead of last season’s average. There has also been a significant improvement in the team’s shooting percentage. John Gilliam is averaging a teamhigh 18.4 points per game and shooting .440 from the field. Lawrence Domingo is pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game.

Fall Teams Earn Postseason Bids and Honors

The fall teams saw plenty of postseason action with the women’s cross country team nearly winning the LSC title and the football team playing in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. The bowl bid marked the first time ENMU’s football team reached the postseason during the NCAA era. The women’s cross country team registered their best-ever finish in conference (second) and placed tenth at NCAA Regionals. The volleyball team qualified for the Lone Star Conference tournament for the third straight season.

Courtney Lawson, a junior from Rio Rancho, NM was named to the LSC All-Academic Team.

Photo by Sports Fanatic Photography

After winning at least six games for the third straight season, the football team earned postseason play for the first time since the 1983 NAIA playoffs. After facing a 23-7 deficit against Arkansas Tech, the Hounds rallied to within two points before falling by a 51-35 score. Eastern rushed for 248 yards while Jeremy Buurma passed for 255 yards, and Aaron Johnson posted a career-best 146 receiving yards.

Greyhound Football battles against Arkansas Tech during the C.H.A.M.P. S. Heart of Texas Bowl game.

Photo by Greeneshots Photography

The women’s cross country team concluded the best performance in team history with three all-conference performers (Azalia Rodriguez, Amber Saiz, and Klaudia Szych) with Trevor Merhege represented the men’s team. The women’s team came within a single-point of LSC champion Tarleton State at the league championship meet and posted the first second-place finish in team history. The squad went on to place tenth at regionals. Szych and Saiz were named to the LSC All- Academic Team.

The football team had 12 players garner All-LSC honors while Jeremy Buurma was chosen as the league’s Co-Academic Player of the Year. First team choices included Kamal Cass, William Jurek, Elliott Peters and Tanner Hightower Wilson.

For the women’s soccer team, Melissa Moxley and Danielle Caro both earned Second Team All-LSC honors. Moxley was chosen to the All-Tournament team after the Hounds played in a first-round game.

Greyhound Soccer senior, Melissa Moxley was chosen to the LSC All-Tournament team after the Hounds played in a first-round game.

Photo by Sports Fanatic Photography

The volleyball team managed to take a set from LSC champion Tarleton State at the tournament with Lauren Frye earning alltournament honors for her efforts. Frye also was named first team all-conference while Andrea Aguilar was chosen second team. Courtney Lawson was named to the LSC All- Academic Team

Academic Athletes of the Year for Fall Sports

ENMU Athletic Director Dr. Jeff Geiser has announced the list of the 2015-16 Academic Athletes of the Year for the fall season. Each fall sport (cross country, soccer, football and volleyball) was represented. The six selected athletes each contributed to their respective programs both in competition and in the classroom.

“We are obviously proud of these outstanding student-athletes,” said Geiser. “They represent everything good in intercollegiate athletics.”

Jeremy Buurma, an accounting and finance major, was chosen as the Lone Star Conference Co-Academic Player of the Year. He also earned his third straight selection to the LSC All-Academic team and his third selection to the All-LSC Team. The Greyhounds have posted winning seasons in all three years Buurma has started under center. As a senior, he passed for 1,282 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for a career-best three touchdowns in a win at Tarleton State and rushed for a career-high 123 yards in a victory over Angelo State.

Courtney Lawson, a psychology major with a minor in communicative disorders, was named to the LSC All-Academic Team, garnering her second such award. The junior outside hitter has also been named to the COSIDA Academic All-District Team. Lawson finished third on the team in kills with 230 and second on the team in digs with 288. Lawson has the distinct record of having seven double-doubles in one season, more than any other ENMU student-athlete since 2004. She also has the most career double--doubles since 2004 as well.

Carlos Viveros, a physical education major with a minor in health, was third for the men’s soccer team in goals (4) and points (11) this season. He also tied for second with three assists. Viveros scored the game-winning goals in the Hounds’ first two games of the season and had a three-point game against Adams State. He also had a goal and assist against NCAA Tournament participant, Midwestern State. Viveros concluded his Greyhound career ranked fourth in points (40), sixth in goals (14), tenth in game-winning goals (3), and tied for fourth in assists (12).

Danielle Caro, a biochemistry major, scored two goals for the women’s soccer team and was third in points with five. She scored in a tie against Lubbock Christian and found the back of the net in a tight game at Texas Woman’s. Caro also had an assist at home against TWU. Her three goals on penalty kicks stand as a team record, as does her four attempts.

Klaudia Szych, senior from Szczecin, Poland is one of Eastern’s three all-conference performers.

Photo by Brian Barrett Photography

Klaudia Szych, a biology major with a minor in premedical sciences, starred as one of Eastern’s top runners during the 2015 season. She garnered All-Lone Star Conference status with a 12th place finish at the championship meet, which helped ENMU come within a single point of the league crown. She followed with a 36th-place performance at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships.

Benjamin Lantz, a biology major with a minor in premedical sciences, registered a strong performance for ENMU at the LSC Championships. He completed the 8k run with a time of 29:30.90.